A fun day for all

The year 2007 has officially come and gone and another year has begun. It was time for the year to end, but none of us were in a hurry for the last day of the year to end.

It was nice to sleep in again and rest. And it was even nicer to be able to wake up and enjoy another wonderful homemade breakfast. The nicest parts of the day, however, were yet to come.

Not long after we finished breakfast and got cleaned up, Dolly and I ran a few errands around Wiky and then headed to the community center at South Bay. Already there were Sarah, Aaron, Gail and the kids, and a few others who were sledding down a hill behind the community center. They said they had already been there for over an hour and were waiting for us to join them. Once we arrived, Dolly and I indulged in sledding for about 45 minutes. And those 45-or-so minutes were filled with fun; I hadn't gone sledding in more than 20 years.

It was quite a workout to reach to the top of the hill from which we launched ourselves onto the solid, packed snow below. Both Dolly and I commented that climbing the hill wasn't difficult so much because of our legs; it was a struggle sometimes because of our lungs. Still, the walk up the hill numerous times was a great workout, and the fun we had going down the hill made the labor worthwhile. When it was all said and done, most of us had sore bums and other minor injuries. But we were all too full of laughter and fun to care much. We were together and were having fun, and that was all that mattered. It sounds as though we may go sledding again tomorrow.

Rather than head back to Dolly's after leaving South Bay, we turned toward Manitowaning so we could visit the liquor store and pick up a few bottles of champagne. The drinks weren't for us; Dolly picked up one bottle for Sharlene and Nathan and another for Matt and Lulu. Other than that, we picked up a few items at the Freshmart before we returned to Wiky and fixed supper. Dolly fixed a pizza covered in pepperoni, mushrooms, and bacon; the pizza didn't last long with all the kids around.

We had planned to go to the New Year's Eve powwow around 8, but we didn't arrive until about 9. In the meantime, Dolly and I rested from all of the action of the day before we settled into more cooking. Dolly suggested I make some of my renowned tator tot casserole for the after-midnight feast at the powwow, and it was ready after about two hours of prep time. And I was pleased to see that a good portion of it had been enjoyed by elders, singers, and dancers at the powwow before I was able to partake of some.

When we arrived at the Waase-Abin high school gym where the powwow was held, we found it was packed with people. We expected it to be filled with all kinds of people, but there seemed to be more people there than were there last year. Regardless, the singers were already well warmed up and the dancers were ready for action. Grand entry was around 7 this evening.

Dolly and I danced part of one intertribal. But apart from that we spent our time milling among friends and family, stopping at the concession stand for snacks, and stepping outside for smoke breaks. It was warm inside the high school, and it felt good to every now and then step outside and enjoy the coolness of the evening air. And speaking of the evening air, I was pleased to find the night was cool but not cold. The snow had also subsided by the time we took our last smoke break around 10 to midnight.

We stepped back inside and the countdown to midnight had begun. With about five minutes left, the M.C., Chris Pheasant, beckoned all of us to form two circles in the center of the high school gym so we could do a round dance leading up to midnight. Dolly and I, along with numerous others, formed two concentric circles and danced clockwise in time to the music. There was a pause in the dancing and singing as the last 10 seconds of 2007 commenced. The M.C. led us in counting backwards from 10 in Ojibwe. And once we had reached the midnight hour, the room erupted with the sound of noisemakers as friends and family, hugged, kissed, and shook hands. And once the noise died down somewhat, the singers resumed and some people continued dancing. But most of us had broken up and made our way around the gymnasium to visit with those close to us. The room was filled with happiness and laughter, and it was then I really felt glad I made it back to Wiky for New Year's again this year. It seems 2008 is going to begin in much the same way and in the same place 2007 did.

It took a while to get through the chow line after the elders, singers, and dancers, but the wait was well worth it. So much delicious food was set before us and each of us filled his or her plate. And once we filled our plates, we found places to sit and our enjoyment of the food and visiting continued. We finished with our feast around 1 this morning, and we arrived back at Dolly's not long after that.

Dolly's house was largely empty save for a few kids who had hung out there throughout the night. In the meantime, as we were getting ready to bed down for the night, Audrey stopped by and asked us to go out to another party. But we declined since we already felt tired and partied-out. It would have been fun to party more, but neither of us had the energy or strength. There will always be more parties.

Additional parties or no, it's been wonderful to be back in Wiky for New Year's, and it feels good to put 2007 in the books. There have been ups and downs as there are in any year, but 2007 truly has been one of the best and happiest years of my life. And I hope 2008 will follow suit.

Relax the day away

Ahh...what a nice day it's been. Especially after all the driving, it's been nice to not have to get up early to make some appointment or get back on the road to make it to the next town. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy driving and it's good to be busy. But there are times when it's good to spend time just sitting around, relaxing, and amusing myself.

The noon hour had almost come and gone by the time I finally rolled out of bed this morning. And when I left the bedroom and prepared to meet the day, I was greeted by some wonderful eggs, toast, and orange juice Dolly prepared for me. I've always enjoyed Dolly's cooking, and I always savor the morning meals she prepares. Dolly didn't eat anything until we ate in Little Current this afternoon, but she did sip on coffee as I enjoyed my morning meal.

Not long after breakfast, Ross came to me and asked me if I could give him a lift to his grandparents' place. I agreed but told him it would take me a little while to finish my breakfast and get cleaned up. Ross had asked for us to leave by about 1:15, but we didn't leave Dolly's house until about 2:15. The time difference didn't seem to bother Ross, though. In the meantime, I finished my breakfast, took a shower, and even had time to play some more Guitar Hero II. I didn't play that many songs, but I have built up to some proficiency playing The Police classic "Message in a Bottle." My new personal high score on that song is about 170,000. I'll continue to work on that song to see if I can take my scoring to new heights.

Not long after I returned to Dolly's house after dropping off Ross, Sharlene, and Nathan, Dolly and I headed to Little Current. There was some grocery shopping Dolly wanted to do, and she figured we'd be able to find more of what we wanted in Little Current rather than at Andy's in Wiky. The roads were wet but otherwise clean, and we were able to make it to Little Current in about 25 minutes.

Before we shopped for groceries and before the white stuff started falling once again, Dolly and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at one of the Little Current restaurants on Highway 6. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and a small order of poutine. Dolly enjoyed a plate of French fries with gravy.

We didn't know it at the time, but the Little Current ValuMart was scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Fortunately, we arrived at about 4:30 and we were able to finish our shopping just before the store was going to close its doors. I'm surprised Dolly purchased as much as she did, but it really makes sense. There are always lots of kids over at her place, and there's always plenty of food for everyone.

Neither Dolly nor I went out for the remainder of the day; it's been nice to spend so much time hanging out at home. We've spent a good deal of time snacking, enjoying meals, and watching TV. And I've indulged myself in more guitar heroics as well. My repertoire has expanded beyond "Message in a Bottle," but that song remains my favorite. And I'll continue working on it in the coming days.

It truly has been a nice, relaxing day, and I feel like I'm catching up on sleep and rest. It's not as though I was frazzled before I came to Wiky, but I can already sense that this visit is going to help me unwind, especially after my recent gastric illness. This week is going to go by quickly, I'm afraid. But I'm going to savor every minute here as I always try to do.

Smooth sailing

I'm in Wiky tonight. Dolly and I had originally planned to spend the night in the Soo and then go to Wiky tomorrow. But last night's snowstorm changed our plans.

We might have still spent the night in the Soo if we had decided to, but Dolly and I decided I should go ahead and proceed to Wiky today. Dolly called this morning about 7:30 saying she didn't have a ride to Espanola to catch the Greyhound. We agreed that we would visit by phone later this morning and discuss our plans further. In the meantime, i checked Ontario road conditions throughout the morning and ultimately decided it was safe to head for Wiky. I called Dolly from the Husky on 17 East and we decided to spend the day in Wiky instead. Otherwise Dolly would have caught a later bus and then made it to the Soo by about 11:30.

It would have been nice to hang out in the Soo overnight, but I"m happy things have worked out the way we did. We both had a great time in Wiky and Rabbit Island tonight. And Dolly's time at Rabbit Island was profitable, too.

With my delicious Husky 2X2 (two eggs, two slices of bacon, and two sausages) finished, I left Sault Ste. Marie a little after 11. In spite of all the snow that fell last night, the roads were already mostly clean and visibility was good. The roads were still wet and temps hovered around freezing. But the roads weren't slick in my experience. They were kind of slushy when I arrived on Manitoulin Island, but they were otherwise good to go.

I only made a couple of stops between the Soo and Wikwemikong. One stop was planned and the other stop was unplanned. The planned stop was when I pulled into the Tim Horton's at Blind River to use the washroom and then call Dolly and update her on my progress. My unplanned stop occurred just before I reached Blind River. An Ontario Provincial Police officer nailed me for speeding. She wasn't the most friendly officer I've dealt with, but she as nice enough to give me a little bit of a break. I don't like the fact that she kept me on the side of the road for close to 20 minutes, but things could have been worse. The ticket is $95, and I'm going to try to take care of that in Espanola before I head back to South Dakota. Otherwise I'll write a check and pay the ticket when I get back to South Dakota.

I arrived in Wiky around 3 local time, and it felt good to be off the road. I didn't feel especially tired when I pulled up to Dolly's door, but it's good to not have to drive so far for a while. Dolly was working at her dining room table when I arrived, and we hung out for a bit and visited and caught up before she fixed a delicious taco salad for supper. In the meantime, we made plans to head up to Rabbit Island to play Pokeno and even got in a few rounds of Guitar Hero II.

There were already lots of family members at Dolly's dad's place by the time we arrived. Once the game was in full swing, there were probably a dozen of us playing. Each of us vied to get a Pokeno, which would award whoever won the big pot.

I don't know the origins of the game, but I do know that Pokeno is a variant of bingo that uses "bingo" cards with playing cards on then rather than numbers and letters. But beyond that the game works much the same way as bingo.

All of us played for roughly an hour and a half after Dolly and I arrived. Dolly won a few bingoes and so did I. But during the final around, Dolly ended up winning the Pokeno. And her jackpot was $129. I'm really happy Dolly won. Usually her dad ends up winning the pot, but not tonight. Dolly doesn't know yet what she plans to do with the money, but I'm sure she'll put it to good use. Dolly and I retreated back to her house not long after the final round. We had expected Tara to stop by to pick up a DVD I have for her, but she never showed.

It's getting late now, and it's been a really good, fun day. I don't feel all that tired right now, but I'm about ready to lie down for the night and recharge my batteries for the coming day. This is going to be another great visit to Wiky; I just know it.

A pleasant enough day on the road

I successfully traveled the rest of the way from Brookings to the Soo today. And in spite of the omnipresent grey skies and and periods of rain, it's been a pretty nice, fun day.

After enjoying the complimentary continental breakfast at the hotel last night, I hit the road about a quarter after 8 Central Time. I picked up Highway 41 North, which took me through Green Bay and beyond until it changed to Highway 35. As it has so many times before, Highway 35 took me through Escanaba, a town that's becoming increasingly familiar to me. Then again, many of the towns on this route to the Soo are becoming more and more familiar to me. And the trip seems to go a little faster each time now that I'm getting to know the area.

I really didn't make that many stops between Wautoma and the Soo today. About the only stops I made were to use the washroom and pick up drinks. The last time I stopped for fuel was at a BP station nearly Brimley. The station is about eight miles from I-75, which then carried me all the way to the border. Actually, there was one stop that I'd almost forgotten about; I briefly stopped at the boardwalk in Manistique to take some photos of Lake Michigan. The lake wasn't really frozen near the place where I stopped, but it was frozen at other locations.

Before crossing the International Bridge over the St. Marys River, I stopped by the duty free shop to change some money. And I realized today how much weaker the American dollar has become in relation to the Canadian dollar. I handed the clerk $233 and received $218 and change in return. There was a time even in the recent past when the American dollar was a good deal stronger than its Canadian counterpart. But that's not the case anymore.

It was already starting to get dark as I crossed the expanse of the bridge and proceeded to guard station at the border. There were two lines of cars, both of which moved quickly. I was in line about two minutes. And I was pleased when I arrived at the guard post. The guard asked me a few questions, took a look at my passport, and waved me on through. As one could expect, I was pleased with how quickly I was able to cross the border.

Though my stomach was starting to grumble loudly (all I had eaten since breakfast was two apples), I decided to get a hotel room first. I first thought to spend the night at the Days Inn, my old standby. But I decided to do something different this time, so I secured a room at the Travelodge just up the street. The climate controls in the first room didn't work, so the manager moved me to another room. And in so doing it seems he gave me an upgrade. The first room had two queen beds and a small bathroom. The second room, which I assume will be the same cost, has a single queen bed but has a larger bathroom with a hot tub. So I'm pretty happy about how things worked out in that respect. It's also nice that my car is parked under cover, especially since it started snowing not long after I arrived.

I hung out in the room for a few minutes to relax and then hit the streets to run some errands. My first stop was Wal-Mart; while there, I picked up some deodorant (I had forgotten to pack some) and some anti-gas medication. I've felt a lot better with regard to the stomach maladies I've had for about 10 days now. But I still have some difficulties with gas. The medication seems to have helped.

When I was done at Wal-Mart, I drove around to a few different places to figure out where I wanted to eat. My first thought was pizza, but I ended up eating at Casino Sault Ste. Marie instead. I had breakfast for supper; then again, breakfast is the usual meal I have at the casino.

Today seems to be my lucky day. Apart from being safe on the road, having no problems at the border, and getting a nice hotel room, I was also lucky at the casino. I didn't put more than $30 total of my own money into a variety of the machines, but I was up about $60 by the time I left. And I had fun in the process. I was even able to play the Deal or No Deal game I've wanted to play for ages now. In the past, the game has always been under repair. But tonight the games were in perfect working order and weren't being used by others. I'm not going to question my good fortune in gaming tonight; I'm happy with how things worked out. It's nice to make some money for a change. And I hope I'll make some money tomorrow when Dolly and I gamble at the casino together. If I don't make money, that will be OK, too.

I ended up spending about an hour and a half in the casino after I ate. And once that was done I ran to a convenience store to pick up some bottles of caffeine-free Diet Pepsi. Diet Mt. Dew isn't available up here, and I didn't bring any with me. So I've settled for the Diet Pepsi, in which I'm indulging as I write this.

It's almost time to call it another day. It was nice to be able to take a soak in the hot tub a little while ago, and it will be nice to visit with Dolly online again here in a bit. And it will be even nicer to see her smiling face again. Technically the beginning of my vacation was yesterday, but I think it's safe to say that tomorrow is going to be the start of another awesome vacation.

Jam-packed day

I've just pulled off the road after driving more than 400 miles today. And it really feels good to be able to relax after such a busy day. It's been a good day in all respects, but it's definitely been busy. Hopefully part of today's busyness means I won't have to "work" so hard the next couple of days. In the meantime, Wautoma, Wisconsin is the place I call home tonight.

I rose around 7 this morning to finish packing for the trip and so I could meet Dad for breakfast. We haven't gone to Cook's Kitchen in some weeks, so it was good to have breakfast there for a change. Both of us were surprised to see the restaurant wasn't very busy. There were plenty of vehicles parked out front. We've never minded before when the place has been busy, but it was nice that there weren't so many people dining there this morning.

Dad and I parted ways for a bit and I headed into the Office for Diversity Enhancement. I had hoped to send the Festival of Cultures flyer out for printing today, but I was unable to do so because I wasn't told how many copies need to be made. It's possible that that's something I can take care of from the road. It's also possible that I'll have to wait until I return to take care of that business. Everything will work out fine in either case.

After I finished with work, I visited with Dad for a bit again and headed to Sioux Falls. The fog was rather thick around the noon hour, but the roads were reasonably clean. I first stopped and filled up the 3's tank and then headed for the Argus Leader for the interview.

When I arrived at the newspaper, a photographer took me into the building's basement to shoot some photos of me and of the book. From there, Jill Callison, one of the Argus columnists took me to a nearby Applebee's for lunch. We ordered and then got down to business.

I first thought Jill was interviewing me for a feature story. But she told me she actually plans to write a column on me and on the book and that the column should run next Thursday. I'm not sure what angle she'll take with the column, but I'm looking forward to seeing it in any case. We covered more topics than I expected. I originally thought that we would discuss my book more than we did. We spent most of our time talking about my travels, my experiences in going through the leukemia, and the meanings I've drawn from my experiences. Jill and I wrapped things up a little after 2, and we then went back to the newspaper for a few moments so I could visit my friend Nestor Ramos for a few minutes. After the brief visit, I jumped in the car and road I-90 for about 330 miles.

Traffic moved quickly, and I've been able to average around 75 mph during my travels today. And thankfully the roads have been bare the whole time. Weather is always a concern when traveling, especially during the winter. It's been smooth sailing so far, though.

I'm actually kind of surprised I drove as far today as I did considering I started as late in the day as I did and as tired as I've felt this afternoon. My initial goal was to make it to La Crosse, Wisconsin, which is about 300 miles east of Sioux Falls. But I've made it almost 100 miles beyond that, and I'm now only about 350 miles away from the Soo. So driving to the Soo tomorrow will be like driving from Brookings to Rapid City. Drive time should be between five and six hours so long as the good weather continues.

It's been a good trip so far, and I'm really psyched to be on the road again. Driving is something I don't mind, but it can be a lot of work, especially when it involves driving for stretches of several hours. But the end result, the destination, makes it all worth it. And I always do what I can do enjoy the ride. The ride's been good so far.

A pleasant Christmas

It's hard to believe another Christmas has already come and gone and another New Year's is just around the corner. This year has gone by so quickly. Each day, for better or worse, has passed slowly in its own sweet time. But the year as a collective seems to have come and gone in the blink of an eye.

Christmas Day was nice in spite of some illness on my part. I was out of bed by 9 and headed over to Dad's place around 10 so I could begin cooking our noon meal. Clark joined us around 11:30 and we were dining by noon. As we ate, I realized I could have cooked the main dish for a while longer. But all of us enjoyed the meal regardless. I lost track of how many helpings Clark had. And Clark always tells me how much he enjoys my cooking.

The three of us hung out for about an hour after that, and I then headed over to Brian's for most of the afternoon. Brian wasn't home when I arrived just after 2, but many of his relatives, most of whom I know, were. We sat and visited and snacked for a bit, and Brian arrived from visiting his dad about 45 minutes later. More relatives arrived in the meantime, and the house contained more than 20 people by the time we began eating. I didn't eat all that much because I had already eaten and my illness seems to have limited the amount of food I can eat. But what little I ate was good.

A bunch of us sat around, visited, and watched TV for a bit before Brian, his half-sister Sharlynn, his cousins Jenny and Lucas, and I retired to the basement to play Guitar Hero III. Sharlynn had never played the game before, and Brian did his best to show her the robes. And over the hour or so that followed we passed around Brian's wireless guitar and took turns playing the game. The last song I played before I left was Living Colour's "Cult of Personality." That song had been resonating in my head a lot that day, so I thought playing the song might help to purge it from my mind. It's not as though I don't like the song. But it is annoying to have a particular or fragments of a song run through one's mind constantly.

My friend Leet called as I was getting ready to leave Brian's, and she and her husband Steve invited me to their place for turkey. Leet had invited me a few days prior, but we never worked out the particulars. But she called and told me they were getting ready to eat, so I gassed up the car and headed for Flandreau. Interstate 29 was reasonably clean, but the county roads were covered with perhaps two inches of snow. The Mazda3 and I had no trouble handling the roads, of course, so long as we took it slow. I did see three deer cross the road at one point, but there seemed to be no other deer threats for the remainder of the drive.

I had expected that there would be house full of people at Steve's and Leet's place, but there ended up being only six of us seat at the dinner table - Steve, Leet, Ashleigh, JR, Risa, and myself. My original thought was that Steve's daughter Crystal and her kids would have made it, too, but they must have stayed in Grand Forks. Regardless, we had a good time visiting, and the food Steve and Leet had prepared looked delicious. Unfortunately I was able to eat little more than a small bowl of mashed potatoes with gravy. My digestive ailment prevented me from eating more. I stayed and visited until about 9:30 and then I headed back to Brookings. Dolly and I visited for a bit online and then I went to bed.

Today has turned out to be a good day, and my health has gotten better with each passing day. And I feel relieved that something isn't seriously wrong with me. I visited with Dr. Warren this afternoon, and he said I likely picked up some kind of virus and it will need to run its course. In the meantime, he suggested I take some Imodium A-D for my stomach and intestinal distress. So far the medication has worked.

Apart from good news from the doctor, I've had a good, productive day with regard to the Festival of Cultures. I didn't sign up any additional booths, but I did get the festival flyer finalized. Thus far I don't know how many copies need to be made. But Sandy should be able to tell me when she returns on Thursday. Printing will be done at the Brookings UPS Store.

I was able to get some exercise in today by walking at the HPER Center. And I received a check in the mail from a local bookstore; I received the check because the store sold three copies of my book. The stock market performed pretty well today, too. Actually, the market as a whole didn't do that well, but our investments held up well. I'm trying to break the habit of checking the market every day, but old habits die hard. And even on down days it's kind of fun and educational to look at the markets and to try to understand what's happening with them.

The remainder of my day has been spent doing laundry, getting a new thermostat installed in my house, and packing for my trip tomorrow. I've decided to head out for my Canada trip tomorrow afternoon after Jill Callison interviews me for a story in the Argus Leader. My plan now is to leave for the trip directly from Sioux Falls. I'll ride on Interstate 90 for 300 or 400 miles before I'll pull off onto some Wisconsin state highways. So after the interview, I'll jump on I-90 and drive as far as I can tomorrow, spend the night somewhere in Wisconsin, and then drive the rest of the way to Sault Ste. Marie on Friday. And Dolly will meet me at the Greyhound station in the Soo at noon on Saturday. We made plans last night to spend the night in the Soo and then drive on to Wiky on Sunday. The amount of driving ahead of me over the next few days is kind of daunting, but everything will be all right so long as the weather holds and my health returns and is maintained.

I feel really, really good right now knowing that I'm going to spend New Year's with close friends and family in Canada. It's true that there's no place like home. But going on the road can be a lot of fun, too. And I feel good knowing my health is slowly returning and that I've met my obligations already so I can fully enjoy myself on the trip. I have a feeling things are going to go really, really well, and I look forward to the adventure ahead.

Making strides

It's been a long week - a long week at work and a long week in my personal life. And that's not necessarily been a bad thing. Long days and the long week have allowed me to accomplish quite a few tasks and to really savor good times with friends and family. I don't know if the following week will be any shorter or longer, but that's immaterial at this point. All I'm concerned about now is enjoying the holiday season and recovering from whatever ails me.

I didn't spend that much time in the office this past week, but I was able get a fair bit done. Most of my efforts were concentrated on signing up booths for the Festival of Cultures. So far eight groups have signed up for food booths, and perhaps a dozen display/bazaar booths have been enlisted. What I've done so far seems to be a good start, and it's good to know that I still have two full months to continue signing up booths.

Outside of the office, I've done a fair bit of writing, most of which has been for the Web site Helium. A friend of mine named Dan, whom I've met through racing with the Sports Car Club of Siouxland, told me about the Web site, but I didn't begin checking it out in earnest until the past week. And since I've signed up, I've submitted one article and several poems to it.

Other writing projects have included a short story for Dolly which is roughly half-done. My goal is to finish the story, edit it, and e-mail it to Dolly by Christmas Eve. Call it a Christmas gift, if you will. Apart from that, I've been working on my next book; the book will likely turn into a couple of different books. Both books will cover the same subject matter, namely my travels throughout the U.S. and Canada over the past couple of years. I foresee two volumes at this point: one will cover the time from Mom's death in late 2005 to the end of the 2006, and the second book will cover calendar year 2007. I really haven't done a lot of writing on the book yet, per se, but I already have more than 400 pages of notes from which to draw. The writing portion of each book will take a good deal of time, of course. But another time-consuming aspect will involve combing through the hundreds of pages of notes I already have and deciding what existing material to include and add to. I'll jump into the project more fully in the New Year.

Speaking of books, there have been a few exciting developments with regard to Living Through Leukemia: A Journey to Health. My friend and former boss Nestor Ramos, who now edits the "Voices" section of the Argus Leader, spoke to one of the newspaper's feature writers. And the writer is going to interview me and do a story on me in the coming week. The interview will be on Thursday, and I'm not sure when the article will be published. Regardless of when the story is published, I'm excited about having another opportunity to tell my story and my book being further publicized.

I didn't sell any copies of my book this week, but one of my photos that are on sale at the South Dakota Art Museum sold. And it was a happy coincidence that I happened to be in the museum when it sold. An elderly woman picked up a photo of Highway 34 leading to Bear Butte. When she went to pay for it, the woman behind the counter told her that I was the photographer, and we visited briefly. She told me the photo was a gift for some friends in Germany. It's a good feeling knowing that some of my work has been bought and sent overseas.

An old saying professes that, "in every life, a little rain must fall." For me this past week, that downpour has been a bout with some kind of gastrointestinal bug that hasn't yet resolved itself. Thankfully the malady has been mild, but it's still been troublesome. I'll go the doctor on Monday to see what's wrong. I hope it's nothing serious. I doubt it's serious, but I'd like to figure out what's happening and stop it.

Now it's the weekend, and it's time for rest and relaxation. I've already spent a fair amount of time lying around, and I've also caught a movie with Brian. Other plans are to continue working on a story for Dolly and working to get over whatever's ailing me. The weekend has had its up points and down points, and I hope it ends on a high note. I'm sure it will so long as I take care of myself and keep my spirits high.

Slow times

Sorry, folks, for the delay in putting up another blog post. Part of my absence from this blog has been the result of laziness. But there also hasn't been that much happening since I returned from Wikwemikong last weekend.

I've spent most of my days checking statistics on the number of copies of Living Through Leukemia: A Journey to Health I've sold through outlets like Amazon.com, playing drums, and of course working on the SDSU Festival of Cultures. Other activities that have taken up some time have been watching TV, updating Web sites, and learning more about my Canon 30D camera.

All in all, things have been coming along pretty well. But there have been struggles as well, as is often the case in life. Work on the Festival of Cultures over the past week has generally moved slowly. There hasn't been a whole lot of progress. But I imagine that will be different this week since I've had more time to relax and get inspired over the weekend. And the fact I'm working on changing my orientation to work and life is going to help, too.

For the most part, I've cruised along in a positive headspace. Things in life are generally going well. I'm happy in my relationships with my friends and family, I have steady employment, and I'm getting back into the writing/photography saddle again and am ready to face new challenges. But there are times when I relapse into dark spaces where I'd prefer to not spend much time. Fortunately, I'm continuing to learn the triggers for those trips into dark territory and how to avoid or deal with those triggers.

The greatest cause for the souring of my mood at any given time seems to be tiredness. A good chunk of that tiredness is the result of not sleeping or resting enough. The tiredness can also be caused by anxiety or having a lot of thoughts spinning around my head and trying to process all of the information with which I'm bombarded each day. It's not that information isn't good; it's just that sometimes, especially when it comes from a variety of sources and relates to a variety of topics, it's hard to sort through everything and make some sense of it. What I need to do now is to try to nip tiredness in the bud and make sure I'm taking good care of myself. Taking care of myself involves getting plenty of rest, indulging in favorite activities purely for pleasure, eating a balanced diet, and exercising. And I also need to break the habit of comparing myself and my accomplishments with others and to feel I need to be going Mach 2 with my hair on fire to feel like I'm progressing and being successful at life.

There will always be ups and downs in life; that's a given, and I'm sure it's part of the spice of life. But the down times don't have to derail us when they come knocking on our doors. When those dark times come calling, all we can do is remember the situation is temporary and that better, happier times will come again. And so long as we deal with those times in positive, constructive ways, we'll all come out ahead. It's sometimes easier said than done, but it does work.

Days filled with small blessings

Today is one of those days when I feel truly blessed. And the truth of the matter is I AM blessed in many ways - particularly with many friends and family. But my day has been filled with smaller blessings as well. Those small blessings make me feel pretty good, too, and I'm grateful for them.

The most important blessing I've received in the past few days is that I made it back home to South Dakota safely. There were times, particularly during the drive through Minnesota, when the journey from Weston, Wisconsin seemed especially long. I'm back in South Dakota safe and sound, though, and that's what's important. And I'm glad that Dad and Clark are healthy and that all has gone well in my absence.

Another blessing I received last night, as I was getting ready to bed down for the night was finding Mom's Canon camera in my computer bag. For the past couple of weeks I thought I had lost the camera either in Escanaba, Michigan, or in the Soo. I despaired a bit at first, but I soon came to grips with the belief that the camera was lost. And Dolly was generous and bought me a new Fuji camera for Christmas. Dolly was the last person I spoke to last night before hitting the sack.

After signing off with Dolly, I felt good and tired and was ready to turn in. But something inside me told me it wasn't time just yet. Something inside also told me to look in my laptop bag one last time to see if I could find Mom's camera. Sure enough, the camera was in the bag, only in a place I don't normally keep it. I'm pleased Mom's camera isn't lost after all, and I'm content that another mystery of life has been solved. It's been a minor mystery, but the important part is that the mystery's been solved.

My only real appointment today revealed another blessing. Today I had a routine teeth cleaning and had x-rays taken of my teeth. I was a bit nervous about my oral health considering I often brush my teeth only once, at the close of each day. But the teeth cleaning didn't take all that long and I received a clean bill of health. I'm happy I won't need to have any fillings or other dental work done. I'm less nervous when I visit the dentist now than I was when I was younger. But I still don't feel totally comfortable having my teeth checked. But the nervousness is worth it when my bill of oral health comes back clean.

The third blessing I noted today came into being when it came time for me to pay for my oil change and tire rotation today. It's been about 5,000 miles since I last changed my oil, and my Hankook snow tires now have about 5,000 miles on them. So I took the car to W.W. tire to have the work done. I've had good experiences in my dealings with the shop and I like to give business to good companies. The mechanics were able to change my oil and rotate the tires within about a half hour. When it came time to pay, the manager only charged me for the oil change; the tire rotation was on the house. Getting a free tire rotation was a nice surprise. And I'm pleased with the quality of the work done, as always. Like I told Dane the manager, I'll definitely be back again in the future.

Apart from what I've already mentioned, I spent the day at work meeting with various people like Al. I didn't get a whole lot of Festival of Cultures work done on account of my having to take care of other projects. But it was a good day at work and I feel as though I accomplished a few things today. I spent the afternoon after my dental appointment walking at the Wellness Center and then rested at home and played drums for a bit before going to band practice tonight. Dan, Jonathan, and I rehearsed a few of the songs we plan to record next month and even started to write a few new ones. Now I'm at home watching TV and chatting with Dolly through MSN.

It's been another good day today, and I'm pleased that the hardest part of the week (my dental appointment) is already behind me. I'm not going to coast through the remainder of the week, but I know I'll be more relaxed now that I know my teeth are in good shape. And I know I'll enjoy the following days to the fullest; life truly is good.

Another great trip draws to a close

As Dolly and I have said time and again, it's amazing how quickly these passed couple of weeks have gone by. Each day has been long and full, but the two weeks have passed us quickly. We regret that these two weeks are almost behind us. But at the same time we'll cherish the memories we've made together and look forward to future times together.

It's always possible that I'll be able to sneak back to Wiky for a bit sometime between now and the Festival of Cultures on April 4. If reality has its way, I won't be able to see Dolly again in real life until she comes to South Dakota in April. We'll keep in touch with each other via phone and Internet in the meantime, of course. It's not the same as face-to-face contact, however. But we'll do the best we can in the meantime.

Today has been a peaceful and restful day for all of us. We took the opportunity to sleep in and relax and watch TV before starting the day. Mainly due to the lateness of our rising, our day didn't effectively begin until around 11. Dolly cleaned up and cleaned the house while I lounged, ate cereal, and checked the markets online. I knew we had a plan for the day, though, so I was ready to go by about noon. I had thought Dolly would have been ready then, too, but we didn't leave the house until around 12:20. Our timing was fine as we were able to do everything we had planned to do.

Our first stop after leaving the house was Andy's. Dolly wanted to look at laptops in The Source and then get some groceries for the Mexican dinner she prepared for us this evening. We looked for laptops in Sudbury yesterday and found one Dolly liked. The display model, an HP, she wanted died so she didn't buy a laptop yesterday. Today The Source had a Compaq Presario laptop on sale for $599; the original price was $799. It's a deal Dolly couldn't resist, so she purchased the laptop, a wireless mouse, and some anti-virus software. Dolly is still getting used to the computer, and I hope it will serve her well. I spent most of the afternoon getting it set up for her and loading software while Dolly cooked. I enjoyed working on the laptop; today was the first time I've worked with a PC laptop other than Dad's Dell in some time.

Ross and other kids began arriving at Dolly's house around 3:30. And we had a full house by the time dinner was served around 5:30. I don't know how many people Dolly planned to feed, but there were easily a dozen of us sharing the meal Dolly prepared. It was of no concern, though; there was more than enough food to go around. I'm not even sure how many tacos I had. But I know I had my fill, and now I'm good and full. In the meantime, we watched the movie Superbad, which just came out on DVD. I saw the movie twice when it was out in theaters. It was sort of entertaining to watch, but it got tiresome after a while.

Once everyone was satisfied and I finished eating and installing OpenOffice on Dolly's laptop, Dolly and I with Alec in tow headed up the hill to Rabbit Island. Dolly and I wanted to visit whoever was around, and that's what we did. Gail was at another function and wasn't able to make it. But I was able to have a good visit Sarah, Aaron, and Julius. I regret that there are quite a few people like Gail whom I didn't get to see again before I leave. But I'm content in the time I was able to spend with them during Gail's party the other night. And I know I'll see everyone again soon.

The sun has been well below the horizon for hours now, and my internal clock is telling me it's time to lie down again to bring another day to a close. As always, it's going to be hard to leave this place. But I know that I will always carry a little piece of Wiky and people like Dolly with me always, and I know I'll return again. It may take me a few months, but I'll be back; you can count on it.

Happy birthday Gail

We celebrated Gail's 40th birthday today. And it turned out to be quite a party with lots of food. The action didn't get out of hand, of course. But we all had our fill of fine fare. It was also good to see so many friends and family gathered together. There must have been about two dozen of us huddled into Julius's house. The statement, "the more, the merrier," couldn't have been more true.

Our day got off to an early start. I don't think either Dolly or I meant to rise as early as we did, but waking up early didn't pose too much of a problem. Both of us were up and out of bed by about 8:30 this morning. I likely would have spent more time in bed, but Ross needed a lift to school. When I first saw the car this morning, I thought I would need to let the car run and warm up for a bit. But there was only a dusting of frost on the car's windows and I was able to clean it off with the car's windshield washers. Ross needed to be at school by 8:55 and he made it on time.

When I returned to Dolly's place, I found she had fixed some coffee for herself and was working on a video gift for Gail. As Dolly worked, I poured myself a couple of bowls of Special K and chowed down. All the while I helped Dolly pick out some songs for the video. Dolly first thought a 50 Cent tune would be appropriate. But Dolly changed her mind once she heard some of the language used in the song. In the meantime, Dolly also listened to the second disc of the Led Zeppelin box set I gave her for Christmas. Dolly seems to really enjoy the gift, and seeing her enjoyment makes me very happy.

Dolly was kind enough to do some laundry for me in the interim. I took a shower while most of my clothes were still drying, so I hung out around the house in my sleep clothes until the laundry was finished. We were ready to run some of Dolly's errands by about 1:30. The first errand was to head to the W.H.O. so Dolly could turn in her timesheet and return her laptop. We then headed to Andy's to pick up some supplies for this evening's feast. There wasn't much we needed to pick up and we added our new purchases to the supplies we already had. Our final step before plunging into cooking was heading up the hill to Rabbit Island. Gail was supposed to be home from work around 5; Dolly and I began cooking around 3:30. We didn't start eating until around 6 because Gail had to stay late at work.

The first dish I prepared was my tator tot casserole. There were a few ingredients, such as corn and green beans, I forgot to add. But my forgetfulness didn't seem to detract from everyone's enjoyment of the dish. Once the casserole was in the oven I began working on spaghetti with meat sauce drawn from the chili I fixed last night. Dolly baked a delicious blueberry cake in the meantime. I can't recall if I've had Dolly's blueberry cake before. I know she's made blueberry pancakes for me before, but I'm not sure I've had her cake.

While Dolly and Jason and others were busy in the kitchen and I had some free time, I set out to photograph as many people at the party as I could and chronicle the party's events. I was successful for the most part, but there were some people I photographed more than others. I did the best I could, and the important thing is I was able to take a picture of everyone at least once. I'm still getting used to camera Dolly gave me for Christmas, but I can already tell that it will serve me well in the present and the future.

Dolly, Sarah, and a few others expressed interest in prize bingo tonight, so they headed out for that a little before 7. In the meantime, a few others like Gail, Jason, Alec, and I hung out in Julius's house. We mostly visited and watched TV, but we also spent some time downstairs looking at some Army figurines Gail had gifted Alec. Alec and I also tossed a ball around.

Since returning to Dolly's house, I've spent the remainder of the evening checking the American and foreign stock markets and catching up on messages. I've also taken some time to watch some TV and rest and relax before the trip to Sudbury. Dolly should be home soon, and I hope she's having fun. And I hope she wins lot of great prizes tonight. I guess I'll find out within the next hour.

A weekend in T. Dot

It's hard to believe the weekend has come and gone so quickly. And it's even harder to believe that half of this journey to Wikwemikong and beyond is almost over. I'm not going to focus on what's already happened, though; I'm going to continue to enjoy the present and look forward to more good times over the next several days.

Dolly and I, along with other family members like Sarah, Gail, and the kids, spent the weekend in Toronto. We engaged in a lot of activities while we were in Canada's largest city, but our main mission was to attend the annual Canadian Aboriginal Festival in the Rogers Centre. The Rogers Centre used to be called the Sky Dome and stands in the shadow of the CN Tower, which is now illuminated red and green in observances of the Christmas season.

If I had paid more attention to the weather reports than I had, the trip to Toronto may not have happened. But I'm glad I decided we should make the 340-mile trip to Toronto in spite of the gloom and doom the weathercasters spewed. The weather people, when talking about snow, ice, and snow squalls, made it sound like the world was coming to an end. But the drive to Toronto was relatively easy and the roads were clean most of the time. That wasn't the case on the way back to Wiky today, but for the most part our travels weren't difficult.

The only difficulties we faced on the way down to Toronto was the freezing of my windshield washer fluid. I hadn't given much thought to changing my washer fluid over to one more suited to cold weather before heading for Canada, so the fluid froze in the reservoir. Fortunately, a mechanic shop in Parry Sound was open on Saturday afternoon and the shop staff were able to unthaw the reservoir and pump and everything has been fine since. I thought I had totally winterized my car, but it turns out I was wrong. Everything is fine now, though, and I've learned something in the process.

Traffic on the 400 South near Toronto was thick and moved quickly, but it really wasn't that difficult to get to our downtown hotel. We had hoped we'd be able to park in the hotel's lot, but it was full. We were able to valet park in a nearby hotel's lot, though, just as Dolly and I had when we saw The Police back in July. Parking was a source of anxiety for me for some time, but it, too, worked out fine. And I'll be better prepared for a similar situation the next time we travel to Toronto.

Dolly and I checked into the hotel not long after we took care of the parking situation. Dolly and I headed up to our room while Sarah and Ashley headed up to Glenna's penthouse apartment. In the meantime, all of us took some time to rest and freshen up for a bit before heading the Rogers Centre. We caught a cab to the Rogers Centre and spent a few hours at the powwow before heading back to the hotel to get dressed to party.

It had been a few months since I'd last been in the Rogers Centre and I had forgotten how big it is in the interim. At the same time, its size wasn't overwhelming and I had little trouble getting around inside in spite of all the people milling about. roughly a third of the astroturf was set up as a dance arena while the remaining two-thirds were used as space for booths and performance areas. Dolly and I didn't spend that much time this weekend watching the powwow. In fact, we didn't even do any intertribal dancing as we had thought. We spent most of our time checking out all the booths and catching up with people we knew. I was surprised by the number of people Dolly knew. And I was even surprised to find that friends of mine like Bert Crowfoot were at the powwow, too. I wasn't able to catch up with Bert over the weekend, but it's good to know he made it.

Our Saturday night really wasn't that structured; we knew we were planning to attend the Redskin launch party and check out Derek Miller's performance at Healey's. But we didn't really have much of a plan beyond that. We went with the flow. After we left the powwow, Gail said she wanted to go out partying with us, so we returned to our respective hotels to get ready before we met up with Gail again at her room at the Delta Chelsea. The three of us caught another cab to Healey's and entered to check out the party.

We found there were already quite a few people present by the time we arrived around 10. We had no real idea when the party was supposed to start, but we figured we made it in time. Derek Miller's band was just finishing set up around the time we arrived and Rudy Youngblood took the stage to introduce the band not long after. We had heard that Adam Beach was going to be the master of ceremonies for the party, but he must have had another commitment. Dolly and I figured that that must be why Rudy Youngblood (star of the Mel Gibson movie Apocalypto) was brought in to M.C. the gig. Youngblood actually didn't do that much M.C.ing; he simply stepped up on stage, asked everyone if he or she was ready to party and get drunk, and then introduced Derek Miller and his band as they came on. Derek Miller then launched into some opening chords and the gig was underway. I was surprised how loud the band was even though I was standing not far from one of the band's speakers. It was then that I really felt grateful that I brought earplugs. Having my ears plugged made hanging out in the bar much more comfortable.

Dolly and I split from Gail for a bit. I guess Gail roamed around inside and outside the bar quite a bit, but Dolly and I stayed in one place for most of the time. In the meantime, I spoke to a couple of security guards about what parts of the bar our VIP passes could get us into. It turns out that having the passed didn't present us with any advantages over other ticket holders. Still, the pass will be a nice souvenir to take home with me this coming weekend.

The three of us hung out in the bar until about 12:15. We left and walked the streets for a bit until we found a Tim Horton's and had some coffee before returning to our hotels for the night. We didn't meet again until Sunday morning when all of us gathered at the Golden Griddle for breakfast.

After that breakfast we again went our separate ways and later met again at the Rogers Centre. It took us a while to find everyone else again once we arrived at the Rogers Centre; in the meantime, Dolly and I checked out the powwow a bit and visited a number of booths. It was awesome to see so many people there at the Rogers Centre and that there were so many different booths. At the same time it was a bit overwhelming. As Dolly and Sarah said later, there was almost too much to see. Still, we did the best we could and had all the fun we could. And we picked up a lot of freebies and made some purchases in the meantime. I was also able to shoot quite a few photos, most of which were taken during the Turtle Concepts fashion show.

One plan for the evening following the powwow was for all of us to get together at the Delta Chelsea and go swimming. That didn't happen, however, and it wasn't for lack of desire. We all wanted to get together and have fun in the pool, but mild illness sidetracked most of us. And the illness seems to have been tied to some of the greasy food in which we indulged at the powwow. So rather than party together on Sunday night, we spent our times hunkered down in our nightly lodgings. It's too bad that we didn't get together and hang out as a family as we had hoped. But I'm not going to complain about spending an evening just relaxing.

We left Toronto between 11 and 12 today and convoyed with Gail and the kids back to Wiky. Slick roads, particularly between Innisfil and Parry Sound, slowed our progress. With periodic stops factored in, it took us about nine hours to drive from Toronto to Wiky. The same trip would take about six hours under normal circumstances. The important thing is that we traveled safely, though, and we're all home safe. And we're going to have more good times over the next several days. Dolly and I are going to do a lot of cooking for the family over the next several days, and it sounds like we'll have lots of fun with that, too. In the meantime, I'm sure we'll all cherish the memories we made together over the weekend. I know I will.

Wiky art show

Today is a day for which Dolly has been preparing for several weeks. And she's prepared well. Today is the first day of two for the Wiky art show Dolly has organized and curated. The show is meant to showcase the works created by students in Dolly's art class from last week. Not many students showed up today, but quite a few members showed up to pay homage to the new emerging artists in the community.

Dolly and I got everything ready for today starting around 8 this morning. There wasn't much we had to do at the house apart from loading the paintings and related paraphernalia into the car. We then met Dolly's co-worker and friend Cindy at the band council chambers and started setting up everything. Cindy had to run to the W.H.O. to pick up a few easels. Once she returned Dolly and I headed to Andy's to pick up snack trays and other needed supplies like S-hooks. We spent more time in Andy's than I had expected, but we weren't in the store for more than 20 minutes. Dolly and I then made a beeline back to the band council chambers and unloaded the car. Community members began showing up not long after we arrived. The art show began around 9 and ran until about 3. It will follow the same schedule tomorrow.

I spent most of my time during the art show hanging out with Dolly and helping her in any way I could. Helping her involved moving tables and paintings around and running errands. Apart from that, I admired the work of the students in Dolly's class. The quality of the work the students, many of whom had never painted before, never fails to amaze me. In face, some of the pieces were so good that various community members wanted to buy them. Dolly sold a few of her paintings, and a few of her students made sales as well. I had hoped that someone would buy the painting I produced, but no such luck. But I'm pleased that one community elder spoke to me about my painting.

Dolly and I unloaded leftover snacks and drinks at her house once the show was over. And once the action period had passed, we napped for what was probably an hour. It seems both of us slept well last night and had plenty of rest, but it was still nice to be able to lie down and get some shuteye for a while. Napping during the day is a habit I'm hoping to pick up during this trip. I've done a fair bit of research on sleep lately, and it sounds as though napping every now and then is healthy and doesn't necessarily interfere with nighttime sleep.

I've done little for the remainder of the day save for watch TV, eat, and work on Dolly's computer while she's at bingo. She learned today that she, Cindy, and Candy will have to turn their laptops back in to the W.H.O. sometime early next week. So Dolly asked me to back up her personal files from the the Toshiba laptop she's used for the past several weeks. I finished with that task a little while ago, and I also did some system maintenance on Dolly's desktop machine. Dolly had about 2.25 GB of personal data on her laptop; most of that data was music.

Dolly's at bingo right now, and I hope she's having a good time and winning. Even if she doesn't win anything, the important part of the experience is that she has fun. Still, winning something would give her some extra spending money for the trip to Toronto on Saturday. Regardless, it sounds like Dolly will be home in about 20 minutes, and I'm sure she'll have plenty to tell me. In the meantime, I'm enjoying surfing the 'Net and watching the TV show Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader? Today has been another fine day, and I'm looking forward to another good night of sleep tonight. And I hope I get plenty of rest tomorrow in preparation for the marathon day on Saturday.

First snow I've seen this season

In spite of feeling tired today and dealing with my first dose of the season's winter weather, I've had a pretty good time today. I was able to see what Dolly's been doing for work for the past several weeks, I've enjoyed good food, and even received an early Christmas present from Dolly.

My head hurt quite a bit when I first climbed out of bed today, but the pain dissipated quickly after a bowl of cereal and a quick visit to the shower. Getting cleaned up in the morning is how I always like to start my day. And it doesn't seem to matter how much or how little I sleep; taking a shower helps me start the day.

Dolly and I headed for her office at the W.H.O. a little before 8:30. Rather than head directly for the office, we stopped by Karen's Coffeemat for some breakfast sandwiches. Snow hadn't yet begun to fall, so we were able to progress down the hill to the Marina with little trouble. But the snow started flying within a few hours and the ground and air outside quickly turned white. I can't say for certain how much snow Wiky got today, but I think it was probably three of four inches. It's still snowing some outside, but the streets are fairly clean. I'm pleased with the job the Wiky street department has done. Even though roads heading to places like Cape Smith are pretty clean.

I felt fairly energetic for the first spell of the morning, but tiredness set in by about 10. I didn't let the tiredness hold me back, though. With Dolly's help I explored the W.H.O. offices and spent time surfing the Internet on the office's wireless network. There wasn't anything specific I was looking for, but I was able to get some research done on digital cameras like the one Dolly gave me today as an early Christmas present. In the meantime, I visited with Cindy and other W.H.O. staff and enjoyed learning about the office's activities.

Dolly and I took a lunch break around 11:30. I originally thought we were going to head to Andy's to eat lunch, but Dolly had a different purpose in mind. We made a beeline for the Source in Andy's and looked at digital cameras. My plan was to pick out a digital camera, but Dolly said she wanted to buy a camera for me for Christmas. I was hesitant at first to let Dolly do that because of the expense involved. But Dolly insisted and said she would get me a camera if I bought memory cards and a case for it. I ended up picking out a red Fuji Finepix Z10, and I've enjoyed it immensely thus far. And it should suit our purposes well when the time comes to shoot photos in Toronto. I should have plenty of memory, too. I was able to pick up two Lexar 2 GB Secure Digital cards for about $60. I also picked up a nice small LowePro camera case.

With my new camera secure in the back seat of the 3, Dolly and I headed back to Karen's Coffeemat to pick up some lunch. Dolly ordered some chicken noodle soup and I had some spaghetti. I was only able to eat about half my spaghetti because I wasn't feeling the best. But the food was still good and it didn't go to waste. Dolly's son Matt ate what I wasn't able to finish. In the meantime, I did my best to acclimate myself to driving through snow and ice again. And I'm pleased with how my Hancook snow tires have performed thus far. Driving technique is still paramount, of course, but I feel confident in the quality and ability of my tires.

We spent only a few more hours at the W.H.O. offices before we headed back to Dolly's for the afternoon. In the meantime, though, I became acquainted with the camera Dolly gave me by shooting photos of Dolly and Cindy at work. I also helped Dolly with a few computer problems and did some research about what I needed to do to fully set up Dolly's new wireless router.

Speaking of the router, I was finally able to get the Internet working with it this afternoon after a short nap. I learned by searching the router's online manual that Dolly's Internet wasn't playing well with the router because of a mistake I made in one of the settings. Once I corrected the mistake, though, the Internet worked flawlessly. And it continues to work flawlessly now. I feel good about such an accomplishment; I like to try to accomplish at least one thing each day.

Since I finished setting up Dolly's router, I gave Matt and Lulu a quick ride to Cape Smith and then had some beef and macaroni stew for supper. I've been at Dolly's art class for the past couple of hours and we'll be heading back to Dolly's place here in a bit. And it sounds like I'll bake some cookies as soon as we get back to Dolly's place on Peltier's Trail.

My day may have started off rough, but it appears that it's going to end well. I've enjoyed the time I've spent with Dolly and others today, and I've finally gotten over the shock of seeing snow for the first time in several months. And I expect tonight will be a better sleeping night than the past few have been. If I do get some good sleep tonight, I should be in good shape for the next few days. And I'll continue to enjoy myself in all possible ways in the meantime.

"Fig and goat cheese is hot..."

Dolly and I pulled into Wiky this evening around 5:30. We didn't have much time to relax at her place before we had to head out again, but it was possible to take a bit of a breather. Dolly had to be ready to teach her painting class by about 6:30 this evening; in the meantime, I snatched up what rest I could and set up Dolly's wireless network. The network is up and running, but I'll need to manually configure the router so the Internet connection will work through the router. My plan is to finish that tomorrow afternoon after we finish working at the W.H.O. for the day. There's going to be painting class again tomorrow, so we should be in the office only until about 2.

I was able to get some fairly decent sleep last night, but it didn't seem like it was quite enough as the day wore on. Dolly and I were ready to check out of our hotel by about 10. We would have vacated our room fairly quickly, but our exit was delayed by a little computer problem. The hotel doesn't have wireless Internet, but I was able to connect to the Internet via the included Ethernet cable. Unfortunately, one end of the cable was missing a tab that normally would allow me to disconnect the cable from my computer. Since that tab went missing, though, I was unable to disconnect the cable and it's still attached to the MacBook. One of the hotel staff members tried to help me in removing the cable but it was no use. I may have to wait to get the cable removed when I return to Brookings. In the meantime, the hotel staff gave me a 10 percent discount on the room for my trouble.

Dolly and I enjoyed a quick breakfast at Husky again before we did some shopping at Wal-Mart and headed back to Wiky. Dolly bought some tops for herself and Angel and I picked up some additional cold medicine. The final stop we made before we left town was Tim Horton's on Highway 17 East.

Traffic was fairly light this afternoon and we were able to cruise comfortably around 115 km/h. We left the Soo by 1 and arrived in Espanola around 3:30. In the meantime, we made a quick stop at the Tim Horton's in Blind River and then didn't stop until we reached Espanola. Dolly and I spent a fair bit of time in Espanola before heading onto the island. Dolly bought some easels for the art show she's running on Thursday and Friday and we bought some snacks and other groceries for the house. With the car loaded to the gills, we arrived at Dolly's house a little before 5:30. Ross, Matt, and some of their friends were at the house and greeted us when we arrived.

As I mentioned before, Dolly and I headed out for her painting class around 6:30. And it was then I discovered I don't have my digital camera. I searched both my car and my bags but couldn't find the camera. So I can only assume I lost it somewhere along the way. And I can only assume that I left it at the Days Inn in Sault Ste. Marie. I'll give the hotel a call tomorrow, but I'm not feeling too hopeful my camera will be found. So it looks like I'll be shopping for a different camera in the next few days. I've heard the Source at Andy's has some pretty good deals on cameras right now.

I really enjoyed Dolly's painting class tonight. Before I arrived I didn't really have any idea what to expect. But I was in the mood to try something new, so I picked up some canvas and some paints and started working. I was able to almost finish a piece this evening, and I'll likely finish it tomorrow or Wednesday. The class was originally supposed to end tonight, but other members of the class requested that the class continue for a few more days so they could finish their pieces. I'm glad the class will continue.

It's been quite a day today, and it's certainly been full. And it's been good in spite of mishaps with my laptop and with my digital camera. The trip as a whole has been good, and I'm looking forward to more good times over the next several days. Now, if only I can get a decent night's sleep...

In the Soo

As planned, I traveled from Escanaba, Michigan, to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. I left the Upper Peninsula town a little before 10 and arrived in the Soo about 1:30. The trip itself was uneventful save for a bit of a hold-up at the U.S./Canada border. Snow flurries fell from the sky throughout the journey and the road surface was wet at times. But neither the snow nor the moisture on the road acted as obstacles to my travels. The only thing that slowed me down at times was traffic.

My eyes opened for the first time this morning around 9. I didn't plan to sleep that late, but I can't complain about taking the opportunity to sleep some more. Over the following hour I got cleaned up and packed and loaded the car. And before leaving Escanaba, I headed next door to Hardee's to take advantage of a breakfast special. The fast food joint was offering two bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwiches for $2.22 and I couldn't resist. And I washed down the two awesome biscuits with an order of orange juice.

The only stop I made between Escanaba and the Soo was to get gas in Engadine, Michigan. I stopped at the Mobil station I frequent on trips like these, filled the tank, and picked up some Diet Mt. Dew. Apart from that brief stop, I put the pedal to the metal for the entire three-hour trip.

When I arrived in the Soo on the Michigan side, I did as I always do; I paid the toll to cross the International Bridge and then stopped at the duty-free shop to change money. I handed the attendant at the currency exchange station roughly $150 in U.S. dollars and received about $145 in return. It's been in the news a lot lately that the American dollar has gotten weaker in relation to foreign currency. But I didn't realize the Canadian dollar is now worth more than the American dollar.

I then crossed the International Bridge and headed for the stations where border guards check people before they proceed into Ontario. I was surprised to find there was a bit of a line of cars and that there was only one border station of maybe half a dozen was in use. It didn't take long to get through the line, and I noticed that some vehicles went through more quickly. I also noticed a fairly sizable proportion of the vehicles were being asked to pull over after leaving the border crossing. And it turns out I was one of those driving vehicles that were pulled over. To my knowledge my car wasn't searching, but the amount of goods I'm carrying seemed to concern the border guard. Still, the guard held me up for only about three minutes while questioning me at his station, and the immigration officer with whom I spoke didn't hold me up long. I was grateful to leave the immigration office without further ado. This border crossing wasn't as easy as other recent ones have been, but I can't complain. The experience could have been worse.

After getting through the border, I started heading down Highway 17b in search of a hotel. There were plenty of options available, but I decided to seek out a room at the Days Inn. I've stayed at the Days Inn before and found the rooms were nice and the price wasn't bad. It took fewer than five minutes to get a room, and once I had the room I unloaded the car and settled into the room to rest for a bit. I felt hungry by the time I checked in, so I drove around the Soo a bit and ended up at a Wendy's. I drove around some more after finishing at Wendy's and ultimately came back to the hotel, where I've spent most of the afternoon resting.

During the drive today, I was concerned that I would be really bored spending so much time staying in my room, watching TV, and resting. There have been times when I've felt bored, but overall it's been a nice experience. It's not often that I take time to simply kick back and relax, and in some ways I feel refreshed. I've had some time to clear my mind and prepare myself to the days ahead. And I should have plenty of energy for when Dolly arrives via Greyhound around 11:30 this evening. Suze Orman is on CNBC right now, so I think I'll finish watching her program before I do anything else. Once the show is done, I'll head out again and run some errands, such as pick up some Coke for Dolly, and wait in eager anticipation of Dolly's arrival. It's going to be so awesome to see and spend time with her again. In the meantime, I need to remember to rest myself and take good care of myself in the midst of all the fun.

An early start to my trip

I was hesitant at first to leave for Sault Ste. Marie this morning, but now I'm glad I did. My original plan was to leave early tomorrow morning and make it to the Soo tomorrow evening. And I would then meet Dolly at the casino at noon.

Dad suggested yesterday that, if I were hungry to get on the road, I leave today rather than tomorrow. At first I thought I would leave Brookings in the afternoon after eating lunch at Arlington; Dad convinced me to leave this morning instead. I made it as far as Escanaba tonight, and I'm happy with the progress I've made. And that means I only have to spend about three hours on the road tomorrow to get to the Soo. And Dolly will be in the Soo tomorrow night as well, so we'll have more time to spend together. I'm happy with how everything has worked out so far.

Today turned out to be a really good traveling day. Traffic has been light and the weather has been cooperative even during the evening hours. And I can take comfort in knowing I'm lodging in a comfortable, familiar place. Tomorrow's forecast looks decent, and I should have no trouble getting into Canada tomorrow so long as there are no hold-ups at the border. I'll probably leave Escanaba tomorrow around 10 in the morning and get into the Soo by 1 in the afternoon. After crossing the border I'll get a room for the night and will hang out and rest until I meet Dolly at the Greyhound station around 11:30. Our time together tomorrow will be somewhat short given the late hour Dolly will arrive. But that's all right; the important thing is we'll be together.

My day has been a quiet one, both outwardly and inwardly. I spent most of my drive time flipping back and forth between National Public Radio, songs on the radio an songs stored on my iPod. And of course I spent time checking out the country around me. I wasn't able to see as much as I could during my last trip up this way a few months ago, though, because it gets dark so early. The sun was pretty well gone from the sky by 6 this evening Eastern Time. I crossed into Eastern Time just before reaching Escanaba.

As is often the case, a good deal of the miles passed today in thought. My mind didn't focus on any particular topics, but I did take some time to reflect on experiences of the past few years. I also devoted thoughts to my overall health - including the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of my being. Of those the ones to which I cogitated the most are my physical and spiritual healths. I feel good about the plan I have in place now to lose 20 pounds over the next three months. And it occurred to me that I need to do a better job of going easier on myself and not put so much pressure on myself. I have a feeling that if I'm successful in doing that and living in such a way, life will be easier and more fun. It's not that life is overly hard or isn't fun now. But taking things easier can only make life better. And my health will improve as a result.

There's not much more to say tonight than I've already said. It feels good to be in the U.P. of Michigan today, and I'm pleased with how far I've traveled today. Tomorrow should be an easy travel day, and it will be fun considering I'm once again in familiar surroundings. And I can't wait to see Dolly again tomorrow. Another adventure has officially begun.

From sickness to health

My state of good health seems to have returned for the most part. I no longer feel the nausea that plagued me for most of yesterday. And the gout pain in my right foot is dimishing pretty rapidly. I imagine I'll be back to normal within the next few days - just in time for Thanksgiving and for the trip to Wiky on Saturday.

In spite of the gout pain and the sickness resulting from taking the colchicine, the weekend was a good one. It was good to be able to relax on Saturday morning and early afternoon, and I had a lot of fun and laughs at the Sports Car Club of Siouxland banquet Saturday night. I was filled with good feelings as I found myself surrounded by so many friends and comrades. Taking the top award in C Stock this year was something I enjoyed, too. More important, of course, was spending time with friends.

Yesterday was no picnic despite the fact I spent most of the day lying around. I did a lot of resting both at my house and over at Dad's, and I was able to get in a lot of TV watching. Overall, though, it was a rough day. I had to cancel my 30th birthday get-together because of the nausea and the still-sharp pain in my right foot. It would have been good to see friends on a day like yesterday, but I wouldn't have fully been able to enjoy the party or everyone's company when feeling as sick as I did yesterday. As much as I hated to do it, I'm sure calling off the party was for the best. And I can always reschedule the party for some date in the future.

Today has been a much better day than yesterday was. My day got off to a later start than a normal workday would, but that's all right. I feel as though I was able to get plenty of rest last night, and it's only through rest that my body will be able to repair itself. Before heading into the office, I had some more blood drawn to check my uric acid levels. In visiting with Dr. Warren this afternoon, I learned my blood uric acid levels are now normal, so the last of the gout should pass quickly.

After my first visit to the clinic today, I headed to the Office for Diversity Enhancement to put in a few hours. I didn't feel 100 percent today, but it did make me feel better to be able to get some work done. I mainly sent e-mails to and received some from a few folks on campus about entertainment and booths for the Festival of Cultures. And it's festival booths on which I'll be working over the next few days. I'll be gone for a couple of weeks starting Saturday, and the office won't be open Thursday or Friday. So I'm trying to get as much work done before Thursday. I'm lucky that Sandy will help me in recruiting individuals and groups for booths.

I visited Dad for a few minutes after I left work and before I headed to the clinic. Dad was resting and watching TV when I arrived. Our visit was brief, but I think it brought Dad some comfort to be able to see me before I went about my visit.

The office visit with Dr. Warren was a good one. He confirmed that it's all right that I've stopped taking the anti-gout medication Dr. Holm had prescribed on Saturday. He also decided to indulge me in an experiment. I've been taking blood pressure medication for a couple of years now and have thankfully experienced no side-effects. However, I'd like to live a life free of medications, so I'm going to take steps to control my blood pressure naturally. Those steps include exercising more and changing my diet. Dr. Warren suggested I try not taking the medication for three months as I make my lifestyle changes. He'll follow up with me in about three months to see what effect, if any, the lifestyle changes have on my blood pressure. If my blood pressure is normal without medication, I won't take it again. If my blood pressure hasn't gone down, I'll simply go back on the medication. In step with my goal of controlling my blood pressure naturally is the goal of losing 20 pounds over the next three months. It'll definitely take work to lose the weight, but 20 pounds really isn't that much and shouldn't be that hard.

I headed back over to Dad's for a while after finishing with Dr. Warren. We visited and watched TV for a while longer and checked how the stock market performed today. Today has turned out to be another down day, but Dad and I have resolved not to worry. The market will always go up and down but over time generally follows an upward trend. We're confident we've invested in good companies and funds, so there should be little about which to worry.

After taking leave of Dad, I headed to Jimmy John's to pick up a turkey sandwich and then headed back to my house. I savored the turkey sub as I caught the last few minutes of the Discovery Channel show Cash Cab. Once I finished the sandwich and the show, I opened up the two cardboard boxes containing the 7X8 tom and 14X16 floor tom I picked up from Guitar Center on Saturday. I tuned up both drums and added them to the set and tweaked their positions for about an hour. It feels good to know that my five-piece drumkit now has two more pieces, and I'm going to enjoy playng a larger drum setup than I have in the while. I enjoy having extra high and low tonal colors that I've added to my palette of sounds. And having a bigger drumkit simply looks cool, too.

Dan Merchant and I e-mailed a few times today regarding band practice this week. There was some confusion regarding whether Leafy Spurge band practice would be tonight or tomorrow night. Dan and I convened tonight and worked on some ideas for a new song; Dan, Jonathan, and I will work on music again tomorrow night. Jonathan wasn't able to make it tonight because he was attending a funeral in Watertown. I hope he's able to make it tomorrow night, especially considering we won't meet again as a group for a couple of weeks.

It's been a peaceful evening here at home since I returned from band practice. I'd like to be able to play my drums more tonight, but I don't think my neighbors would look upon that too kindly. So more playing will have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, I've enjoyed some good Web surfing time here on my MacBook and another fine chat with my dear Dolly. It's hard to believe that I'll be able to spend time with Dolly again in less than a week, and we'll have more adventure together on the road and in Wiky. I can't wait. In the meantime, I'm going to take good care of myself to make sure I'm in good health for the trip and for life beyond the trip. And I'm going to enjoy and make the most of being in my 30s, a new decade of life.